Radiologists are not doctors reading images. They are physicians who perform and interpret tests (X-rays, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, PET/CT) and intervene in the body (biopsies and other treatments) and help the treating physicians manage their patients better.

This is why teleradiology is so intellectually stultifying, because it commoditizes the radiologist and converts him/her into a "reading machine", taking away the "physician" part of being a radiologist.

This blog is all about those stories that make it gratifying being a radiologist.

And some thoughts about radiology.

If you have stories to share, feel free to email me on bhavin at jankharia dot com

There is a review article in in the November issue of the AJR by Olsen et al, discussing the various types of sedation and options available if radiologists want to perform their own analgesia, especially when it comes to moderate sedation (earlier called conscious sedation). This article is predominantly aimed at North American radiologists and specifically the context of their practice.

While I used to deliver moderate sedation on my own up to a couple of years ago, especially in patients who needed bone biopsies, I now no longer do so myself. I always have an anesthesiologist stand-by, simply because delivering and monitoring of the sedation adds another layer of stress and actually affects my ability to perform the biopsy / procedure optimally. If there is an adverse event, again, it is better to have another pair of experienced hands that can take the load off your back and allow you to focus on more important things.